Follower for filing compartments



1951 H. w. REGENHARDT ET AL 2,573,603

FOLLOWER FOR FILING COMPARTMENTS Filed Feb. 9, 1949 IN VEN TORj- HANSI'V- 1GNHAIQDT By GEO/F65 M Bf/VO War ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 e 2,573,603

UNITED STATES PATENT arrives 4 2,573,603 FOIiIiOWERFOR FILINGCOMPARTMEN'TS Hans -Regenhardt and George Beno,

wooster, O hio,"assignors to Record Files, Inc.,v V Wooster, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application February 9, 149,* Seria'l No. "75 ,472 4Claims. (01.1219-31) This invention relates to followers for filinglongitudinal section, correspondingiztolfigln'efl, -'compar'tme'nts andthe like; iparti'cularly, imthrough thei-assembly-fof Figure 31; :andFigure -Proved -followers 'of the general nature =of those :4 is=an'end:e1evation, takenifromithe"rear,rshowdisclosed in Beno applicationSerial No-686,661, -ingthe manner-inwhich the follower visrlocked filedJuly'2'7l, '1'946, Pa'tent No. 2,501A'91ior f-Fol- 5 in position in thecompartment, the front mem- "iower for 'Filin'g'compartments. her of thecompartment being omitted for clarity *As'in said'copending application,one-of the in illustration. objects of the' present invention is theprovision A; preferred form of :follower embodying theiin- -of animproved follower whichembodies "a'univention is shown in the drawing asinstalled in a tary locking mechanism to lock the follower compartmentindicated in ;general "at "i=9. x'lhe I firmly-in anyaie'sired.p'ositionin=the fi1ing comcompartment, which in thiseXample'isJ adrawer wartment. nnother "object is the provision of ofa filing cabinet,may-be of moreor-less 30011- sueh a follower-which:in'large part can bemanuventionalconstructioncomprisinga suitable vback ractured by si-m'plebending and forming opera- "member (not1sh0w'n), a bottom;portion 'I I,side -t-ions. Another object is to providesuch a folwalls |2,and a frontmember 13. The :upper flower which has ample-strength to resist theedges .of the side walls-l2 are provided withinforcesimposed upon it. Afurther'objeot is to wardly and downwardly extending flanges M, providea-iollowe'r -and locking device-which can =-Ithus providing invertedchannels ISweXtending be -readilyinstalled-in or removed-froma filing'al'ong the upper'e'dgesof the side'gportions n. -compartment. z -gn'Ihis constructionstrengthens and stifiens the v irfurther object of theinvention-dete provide a "side portions and, as will appear-below;permits follower lending itself to one-handoperation, 'by the-lockingparts of-the follower to engage flanges which is meant the series ofoperations involved M at the baseof channels i5 thereof.

-in insertion, placement and withdrawal of the Soli'dly packed-betweenfrontimember-ldand follower; sothat an amputee or a sperson whosefollower l! is the material 'Fstored imthe-comotherhrrid-is-holdingmaterial taken-fromor-to -partment the same taking :the form-iof punchlie-added to that-inthecompartmentcampercards 16. form unaidedall of theacts necessary-to intro- The-follower itself, indicated .-in generalatf1, duce, --locate, --re-locate'or-'remove the follower. "preferablyisformed of :sheet metal. .It ;con-

'-A further object isto 'provide'amormallyre- -sists, "along "with otherparts hereinafter edetracted actuating member,-such as a pry or-lever,scribed; of an upright web or ebodygportion r-l9 "whichforms part of'thefollower, is normally out "disposed substantially --but not necessarilypreof a=sight-and out of the =way,;-yet-is instantly cisely verticallyin the zcompartment arbeaded "available to put-itsmechanicaladvantage-tome -top portion 20, arearwardly extend-ing-ibottom to *the end of--facilitatingone-hand-operation as -:fiange 2|having struck-downi-dimples 521a and "above-described. A f=urther objectis to provide 2min contact -with loottomlportion ll of-the a followerthat-"permits solidpaeking-ofl-the ma- "compartment, rear-wardlyextending side-flanges 'ter-ial *in k the compartment, particularlypunch -22: and 2-3, and, spot-welded to. andzpreventing"cards,'-withoutrequiring the-apresence ot-space arelative-movement-between side fiangesJZ-fand wasting slack -forward ofthe follower toleave 4 23,; polygonal internal reinforcements extendroom for. pullingthe follower toward the oping from just short of the bottom oflowers-flanges erator as an incident-to re-location-or removal. #22 toj-ust short of the top of upper-flanges 23. "Fu erbj a advantages 1itheMiIIVBH- Flangesuniform-part of the locking mechanism, tion willbecomeapparent from the follow-ingade- --as will :appear belowywhile-fianges 23 are pro- *scription-of a preferred-form thereof,reference vided'ior strength and'tstifiness. -being made to theaccompanying drawings in In:addition5body=portion Hi-isfurther-stififened -W F is a p ive* a i s by spot-welding thereto'atransversely extending follower-embodyingthei-nventioninstai-1ed---in--a -she'et=.'metal 'strapsz25, the topportion '25ae-fof compartment such as 'a' drawer ofa---filingcabiwhichi'is"reversely"bent to)provideaan-outwardly net,parts of the compartment --.being broken V =1ei tending bead underlyingand"-conforming LitO awa -for-convenience =in-illustration; rFigure 2"bead t c rtion'izm isaside elevation, but-withlthe operating'lever In afabricating l 1 1, -1 in ma i "70f in elevatedrpositionyof the assemblyof'Figure 1, sheet metal in thelforml or arstamping' of-gsultthe'view-beingtakenfrom the-:left'asthe assemable' 'shape may bezusedtog-provide hodyr-porbly is'i -thereinillustrated -:Fi'gure :,31ls-;aiicential ti'on-"I 9;beade'd-itop1 portionfifZmibottom fiangeaz I 3dimples 2| a and 2|b, and side flanges 22 and 23, the various flangesand other parts being struck up or struck down, as required, atappropriate stages in the sequence of operations. Side flanges 22 and 23are so shaped, located and bent in the process of forming the followeras to be rather widely spaced from each other, as shown in elevation inFigure 2. Top portion 20 is cut away at its ends, as shown in Figures 1and 4, to provide spaces between it and upper side flanges 23. Bottomflange 2| is not rigidly affixed to but spaced very slightly from thebottom limits of in Figure 2, where, in the broken line position offollower angle A appears as an obtuse angle.

From'Figures l and 4 it will be noted that at their upper ends lowerside flanges 22 are rather sharply angled to provide parallel butoutwardly offset portions 26 having their edges 21 curved rearwardly andthen abruptly downwardly from the highest portions 28 thereof, thelatter being substantially, but not literally, in the plane of bodyportion |9. As shown best in Figures 2 and 3, the follower is sodimensioned that when it is in upright position with dimples 2| a and2|b resting on the bottom H of the compartment,

there is no appreciable clearance between the highest point 28 of offsetportion 26 and the base (represented in Figure 2 by the broken hori-'zontal-line) of the channel within which it is disposed. The lack ofclearance results in part from the spring action characterizing bottomflange 2|, which tends to force points 28 of offset portions 26 intocontact with the inwardly extending portions of inwardly and. downwardlyextending flanges l4.

With this arrangement, an external force applied to the follower fromleft to right as seen in'Figures 2 and 3 will tend to rock follower I?about edge 29' at'the rear of bottom flange 2|.

As this edge is offset from points 28 on offset portions 26, thetendency will be to force points 28 into even closer engagement withflanges M at the base of the respective channels l5. In addition, theforces exerted by points 28 of offset portions 26 against the base ofchannels I react through bottom flange 2| of the follower against bottomportion H of the compartment. By this construction, follower I1 islocked securely in position against unintended rearward movementresulting from pressure exerted upon it by material supported by thefront face of the follower.

The net effect, as a practical matter, is to prevent any possibility ofaccidental rearward displacement of follower H. In consequence, followerI! may be brought into very close contact with the material itself, asis desirable when the material nearly fills the compartment and followerI1 is toward the extreme rear thereof. In such case, particularly if thematerial in the compartment takes the form of punch cards IB, the

solid mass of material backed by follower I! will of course preclude thepossibility of opposite or forward movement of the follower.

By the same token, however, the possibility of removing follower I! bytilting it forward, to that stop 3% or pry 3D abuts retainer 3|.

end pivoting it about the base of body portion I9, is precluded by thepresence of the material backed by the follower.

To cope with this state of affairs, a metal pry 38 having rearwardlyturned ends 30a and 30b is mounted in a flared metal retainer 3| that isspot-welded on or otherwise made fast to strap 25. Pry 30 may take anysuitable form but conveniently may be of the nature of a retractible rodor bar having its ends 30a and 30b bent at right angles to permit themto serve as holds or stops. Retainer 3| is so shaped as to providetherein a passageway 33 within which pry 30 may, as desired, be pulledup to functioning position (Figures 2 and 3) or permitted to drop downout of sight into non-functioning position (Figures l and 4). In orderthat pry 3|] may clear top portion 20 of follower H, which, reinforcedby top portion 25a of strap 25, serves as a fulcrum for pry 30, retainer3| is flared outwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 3. f

In use, the person seeking to re-locate or remove follower grasps pry 30at ornear hold 30a, lifts it upat the angle required to clear topportion 25a of strap 25, and, using one hand, pulls it forward; i. e.,counterclockwise as seen in Figures 2 and 3. A forwardly acting force soapplied to the upper end of pry 30 manifests it- 'self as a rearwardlyacting force against retainer 3| toward the lower end thereof, wherePivoting about the horizontal top edge of the solid mass of materialmade up of punch cards I6, follower H is thereby dislocated as indicatedin broken lines in Figure 2, top portion 2|lthereof tending to remain insliding contact with punch cards l6 and bottom flange 2| assuming aninclined position in sliding contact with the bottom portion H of thecompartment. The presence of dimples 2|a and 2|b on bottom flange 2|assists in the release of the latter notwithstanding the spring actionpreviously mentioned, this because the surface contact and thefrictional resistance arising out of surface contact between bottomflange 2| and bottom portion 1 of the compartment is thereby held to aminimum.

Thereafter, rearward movement of follower I! in the manner and directionsoinitiated is con tinued until after clearance permitting re-locationor removal of follower I! has been established between flanges ldandoffset portions 26. If, for the purpose of removing follower l1, suchmovement is continued until follower assumes a substantially horizontalposition, pry 30 is allowed, once clearance has been established, todrop into its retracted position, after which it is a simple matter topush follower IT in a rearward direction until top portion 20 thereofmoves out of contact with punch cards l6. At this'sta-ge, follower I!may be bodily removed merely by turning it out of transverse and into anoblique position with respect to the compartment until it can be liftedout without having offset portions 26 re-engage flanges l4. 1

Installation of the follower in a compartment is carried out byinserting the follower in an oblique position, turning it until it isnormal to side walls l2 of the compartment, and then rocking it intosubstantially vertical position with offset portions 26 disposed Withinchannels l5.

As noted, lower flanges 22 on the sides of follower I! are for the mostpart out of engagement with bottom flange 2|. Thus bottom flange 2| andlower flanges 22 do not reinforce each other. It .is to stiffen andprevent angular separation of side flanges 22 and 23 that polygonalinternal reinforcements 24 are provided, such reinforcement being doublydesirable because of the force exerted by pry 36 against body portion IQof follower [1. A further measure of reinforcement is provided bytransversely extending strap 25, which is in contact throughout itslength with body portion [9 and at its ends with upper flanges 23,particularly toward the top thereof, where top portion 25a of strap 25abuts polygonal reinforcements 24. Thus is provided a light, sturdyfollower which makes possible the attainment of the objects heretoforenoted.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof. It is therefore to beunderstood that the patent is not limited to the preferred form ofinvention. On the contrary, it is intended that the patent shall cover,by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features ofpatentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A follower for a compartment used for filing, storage or the likecomprising an upstanding sheet metal web having a beaded top portion; atransversely extending sheet metal strap fastened to the web, said straphaving a reverselybent portion underlying and conforming in shape to thebeaded top portion of the web; a metal retainer mounted on said strap; alongitudinally movable metal lever carried by said retainer, said leverbeing movable independently of the follower and adapted to bear againstthe beaded top portion of the web; upper and lower side flanges integralwith the web, said lower side flanges having locking means associatedtherewith; a sheet-metal reinforcement connecting the upper and lowerside flanges at each end of the web, said reinforcement extending from apoint short of the bottom of the lower flange to a point short of thetop of the upper flange; and, cooperating to lock the lower side flangesin fixed position, a bottom flange integral with and projecting from theweb in such manner as to define an angle of a magnitude greater than 2.A follower as in claim 1 in which the bottom flange is spaced from thebottom limits of the lower side flanges.

3. A follower as in claim 1 in which the bottom flange has a limitedamount of freedom of movement relative to the web of a kind such as toimpart a spring action to the bottom flange.

4. A follower as in claim 1 in which the bottom flange is provided witha plurality of integrally formed projections extending downward from thelower face of the bottom flange.

HANS W. REGENHARDT. GEORGE M. BENO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 828,519 Seng Aug. 14, 19061,058,236 Hawkins Apr. 8, 1913 1,367,245 Ebrenz Feb. 1, 1921 1,666,172Gollnick Apr. 17,1928 2,256,352 Regenhardt Sept. 16, 1941 2,271,678Burdick Feb. 3, 1942

